Tube dispenser



June 21, 1966 s. J. TRUTzA TUBE DISPENSER Filed June 5, 1964 Sie ve J Truza United States Patent O 3,257,039 TUBE DISPENSER Steve J. Trutza, 6027 Crossview Road, Seven Hills, Ohio Filed June 3, 1964, Ser. No. 372,317 2 Claims. (Cl. 222-102) This invention relates to dispensers, and more particularly to that type of dispenser adapted to the dispensing of a dentifrice or its equivalent from a collapsible tube.

While tube dispensers are becoming more and more numerous on the market, they are nearly all either too complicated, too bulky, or so simple that they will not do the efficient job for which 4they are intended.

It is, therefore, the first purpose of this invention to provide a tube dispenser that will, above all else, provide an efficient means of dispensing a dentifrice from a collapsible tube regardless of the size of the tube or the nature of its contents.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tube dispenser that takes up -a minimum of room.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tube dispenser that has a minimum number of moving parts that are so related to one another they will not jam.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tube dispenser that can be mass produced at such an attractive price as to become a must in nearly every home, hotel and motel court in the country.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a tube dispenser that can have its exterior surface finished in any desired color pleasing to ones eyes.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a cons-ideration of the following description and appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of this invention taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of this invention taken substantially along line 3 3 of FIGURE 1 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

With continued reference to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates a case in one end of which is located a ring 6 having a pair of serrated rollers 7 supported by stub shafts 8 at each end thereof and drawn together by the coil springs 9. The aforesaid ring 6 is connected to an inverted U-shaped hand lever 10 by a pair of diametrically opposite pins 11 that slidably r-ide in the elongated slo-ts 12 of the vaforesaid case 5. Each end 13 of the aforesaid inverted U-sh-aped hand lever 10 is provided with teeth that are engaged with the rack 14 that extends the full length of each sideof the aforesaid case 5 as clearly shown lin FIGURE l, where it is seen that the closed end 15 of the aforesaid case 5 is convex and is provided with a centrally located opening through which projects the hollow spoutlike end of the collapsible tube 16 that has its bottom 17 placed between the two aforesaid serrated rollers 7 in the manner shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing. A cap 18 is hingedly mounted on the outside of the aforesaid elo-sed end 15 of this invention in order to keep the contents of the collapsible tube 16 from becoming hard if left exposed to the air. The aforesaid cap 18 is kept closed by means of the spring 19 that encompasses 3,257,039 Patented June 21, 1966 ICC in part the pin 20 that is located in the just mentioned cap 18. One end 21 of the spring 19 presses against the external surface of the closed end 15 of the invention while the other end 22 of the same spr-ing is turned at right angle thereto and projects through an opening in the aforesaid cap 18 as clearly shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing.

This entire just described invention is mounted on any desired surface 23 by means of the mounting bracket 24 as shown in both FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawing.

It may be said at this time that the aforesaid invention is large enough to easily hold extra tubes of whatever material is to be dispensed if it is so desired.

One can readily understand from a look at the drawing that yall that is necessary for one to do in order to use this tube dispenser is to insert the collapsible tube 16 in the same, as has been previously mentioned and then move the inverted U-shaped hand lever 10 forward towards the closed end 15.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A tube dispenser comprising a substantially fiat mounting surface, an elongated case of substantially uniform cross-section proportioned to receive a collapsible tube, the case having a front, a back, sides and a closed lower end, said'end having an opening for the projection of the spout-like end of a plastic tube, structure securing the back of the case to said mounting surface, longitudinal slots extending along substantially the full length of each side of the case, means slidable within said case adapted to progressively flatten a collapsible tube as said means is moved down the case, two stub-shafts extending from opposite sides of said means, the stub-shafts extending through said slots, two racks secured to said mounting surface at the sides of the case and extending substantially the full length of the case, a substantially U-shaped handle having a central portion extending across the front of the case and side portions extend-ing back on each side of the case, pivotal connections between the side portions and the stub-shafts and teeth on the free ends of each side portion to engage said rack.

2. A tube dispenser comprising a substantially at mounting surface, an elongated cylindrical case of uniform cross-section proportioned to receive a collapsible tube, the case having a front, a back, sides and a closed lower en-d, said end having an opening for the projection of the spout-like end of a plastic tube, structure securing the back of the case to said mounting surface, longitudinal slots extendingalong substantially the full length of each side of the case, means slidable within said case adapted to progressively flatten a collapsible tube as said means is moved down the case, two stub-shafts extending from oppos-ite sides of said means, the stub-shafts extending through said slots, two racks secured to said mounting surface at the sides of the case and extending substantially the full length of the case, a substantially U-shaped handle having a central portion extending across the front of the case and side portions extending back on each side of the case, pivotal connections between the side portions and the stub-shafts and teeth on the free ends of each side portion to engage said racks.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,784,752 12/1930 Ries 2-22-102 4 2,056,422 10/ 1936 Crossley 222-101 2,550,537 4/1951 Derrick 222-105 X 2,551,909 5/1951 Soileau 222-95 X 5 LOUIS I. DEMBO, Primary Examiner.

* RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiner.

NORMAN L. STACK, Assistant Examiner. 

2. A TUBE DISPENSER COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT MOUNTING SURFACE, AN ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL CASE OF UNIFORM CROSS-SECTION PROPORTIONED TO RECEIVE A COLLAPSIBLE TUBE, THE CASE HAVING A FRONT, A BACK, SIDES AND A CLOSED LOWER END, SAID END HAVING AN OPENING FOR THE PROJECTION OF THE SPOUT-LIKE END OF A PLASTIC TUBE, STRUCTURE SECURING THE BACK OF THE CASE TO SAID MOUNTING SURFACE, LONGITUDINAL SLOTS EXTENDING ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL LENGTH OF EACH SIDE OF THE CASE, MEANS SLIDABLE WITHIN SAID CASE ADAPTED TO PROGRESSIVELY FLATTEN A COLLAPSIBLE TUBE AS SAID MEANS IS MOVED DOWN THE CASE, TWO STUB-SHAFTS EXTENDING FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID MEANS, THE STUB-SHAFTS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOTS, TWO RACKS SECURED TO SAID MOUNTING SURFACE AT THE SIDES OF THE CASE AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL LENGTH OF THE CASE, A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED HANDLE HAVING A CENTRAL PORTION EXTENDING ACROSS THE FRONT OF THE CASE AND SIDE PORTION EXTENDING BACK ON EACH SIDE OF THE CASE, PIVOTAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SIDE PORTIONS AND THE STUB-SHAFTS AND TEETH ON THE FREE ENDS OF EACH SIDE PORTION TO ENGAGE SAID RACKS. 